Top 5 Ways an International Internship Will Jump-Start Your Career

Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) Visit to Uganda.

This year, more than 2 million US graduates will face the highest unemployment rates since WWII. Learn how an FSD internship can help.Generation Opportunity, a national youth advocacy organization, recently reported that the youth unemployment rate is at the highest sustained level since World War II. Many young professionals are realizing that real-world experience gained through an internship can make them much more competitive in this tough job market. FSD’s international internship program provides students with an impressive experiential portfolio and invaluable skill set needed to be a desirable applicant and successful future employee.

Top 5 Benefits of an FSD International Internship:

1)  Real-World Experience
Most employers seek candidates who have valuable experience outside of their university. An international internship with FSD offers students an irreplaceable opportunity to apply the knowledge that excites them in the classroom to a real-world setting. While abroad, interns learn important skills in international development and witness measurable outcomes from their hard work.
2) Team Building & Cooperation

Recruiters are tasked with finding candidates who can effectively and quickly integrate into a team. Recent graduates with cross-cultural internship experience are more prepared for this workplace dynamic and bring valuable team expertise to their new employment.

3) Practical Skills

Managerial and efficiency skills are highly desirable in today’s job market. FSD provides interns with training in these practical skills through designing, managing, and evaluating projects in their host community, leaving them with concrete outcomes to share with their potential employers.

4)  Global Perspective

An FSD internship in a developing country demonstrates a student’s ability to face challenges and commit to solutions. Employers value and recognize FSD interns’ maturity, dedication, and keen interest in creating sustainable solutions to today’s most pressing global issues.

5) Professional Recommendations

FSD is proud to provide all of our successful alumni with strong letters of recommendation and references. FSD is happy to work through LinkedIn or written letters to support the futures of our greatly appreciated interns.

Learn more, http://www.fsdinternational.org/programs/internship

Katie Evans Memorial Scholarship Winners Announced 

Katie Evans embodied the spirit of community work and international development. In her memory, her family and friends established the Katie Memorial Foundation (KMF) in 2008. The foundation supported outstanding work in international public health through scholarships to student leaders who were completing their Masters in Public Health degrees and showed passion for doing meaningful field work. These 38 Katie Evans Memorial Scholarship (KEMS) awardees have done remarkable work in the field, ranging from projects to support survivors of gender based violence in Bangladesh to hygiene and health education programs in Mozambique.

The foundation passed on the baton of administering the scholarship to the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) in 2012. FSD is honored and proud to carry the legacy of Katie Evans forward and to enable students, who otherwise may not be able to afford international field work, the opportunity to apply their skills alongside our community partners in India, East Africa and Latin America through our community development internship program. FSD has completed the review of it first round of scholarship applications for 2013 internships. It is with great pleasure that we announce the first recipients of FSD’s Katie Evans Memorial Scholarship: Anna Thorn and Carey Mittermeier.

Anna Thorn will soon graduate with a Master’s in Public Health from George Washington University. She will be starting her project work in Jodhpur, India in fall 2013. Carey Mittermeier is slated to graduate from University of Pittsburg in December 2013 with a Master’s specialization in Behavioral and Community Health Science. She is interning this summer inUdaipur, India. These scholars will support our community partner’s health programs, which include HIV/AIDS awareness, nutritional education, disease prevention, and maternal and neonatal health.

FSD is very excited to launch the first batch of scholarship recipients and wishes them great success in their internships as well as future endeavors.

If you are a Public Health student or know of someone who is passionate about global health issues, please learn more at our KEMS webpage. The next round of the KEMS program is now open for those interested in fall internship opportunities, with a June 1st application deadline.

If you would like to donate to the scholarship fund, please do so via our website here or mail a check to FSD, 1000 Brannan St. Suite 207, San Francisco, CA 94103 indicating the donation is for the KEMS fund. Contact Anna Welton at kems@fsdinternational.org for more information.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to honor Katie Evans and her life's work, and thank you for your continued interest and support!